Flexible planning model for fabrication with high volume and high mixture

ABSTRACT

Described herein are, among others, systems and methods associated with electrical test planning in a semiconductor manufacturing context. Within an electrical test planning system in the semiconductor industry, various models that allow a better utilization of installed capacity were developed. The workflow in the plant and the information flow in the electrical test planning area were analyzed to reduce or minimize setup times on the equipment. A paradigm shift is disclosed, with which planning is done at the product family level instead of at the level of the part number, starting with priority products required by the market.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.62/367,546 filed Jul. 27, 2016 and entitled “FLEXIBLE PLANNING MODEL FORA HIGH TECH COMPANY WITH HIGH VOLUME-HIGH MIXTURE,” which is expresslyincorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND Field

The present disclosure generally relates to planning models forsemiconductor fabrication and testing.

Description of Related Art

The manufacturing process of a semiconductor or integrated circuit (IC)chips generally includes four major steps: wafer fabrication, waferprobe, assembly, and final testing. The number of semiconductormanufacturing machines or stations for executing each process isdictated by the properties of the semiconductor or chip. Insemiconductor manufacturing facilities that employ a job shop scheme,semiconductors are manufactured by a process in which a plurality ofunits or bays each contain particular manufacturing equipment, and thesemiconductors are conveyed between bays by a transfer robot, beltconveyor, or other conveyance. In semiconductor manufacturing facilitiesthat employ a flow shop scheme, the semiconductor manufacturingequipment is provided in the sequence of processing steps. The flow shopscheme may increase productivity by reducing standby times, conveyancetimes within bays and between bays, and other wait times where similarprocessing steps are repeated. To increase productivity and efficiencyof a facility employing a flow shop scheme, suitable management andscheduling can be implemented for the semiconductor manufacturingequipment or bays to improve utilization of the operating capacity ofeach piece of semiconductor manufacturing equipment used in thesemiconductor manufacturing line.

SUMMARY

According to a number of implementations, the present disclosure relatesto a method for scheduling production in a flow shop. The methodincludes grouping products into families based on geometricsimilarities; within a family, grouping products into lots; prioritizinglots within individual families; determining constraints on productionand raw materials associated with production; and generating aproduction schedule that reduces changeover times by ordering lotswithin individual families.

In some embodiments, grouping products into families comprises analyzingcharacteristics of products to determine common characteristics betweenproducts. In further embodiments, grouping products into familiesfurther comprises assigning products to families wherein the productshave identical geometries. In further embodiments, grouping productsinto families further comprises assigning products to families whereinthe products have geometries that differ by less than 5%.

In some embodiments, prioritizing lots within individual familiescomprises determining customer demands associated with products andassigning a higher priority to those products. In further embodiments,prioritizing lots within individual families comprises assigningproducts to one of three priority levels. In further embodiments, ahighest priority level corresponds to products that fulfill customerdemands. In further embodiments, a lowest priority level corresponds toproducts that fulfill forecasted demands. In further embodiments, amiddle priority level corresponds to products that buffer peak demands.

In some embodiments, the method also includes allocating productionresources for individual families. In some embodiments, the method alsoincludes assigning individual families to machines. In furtherembodiments, the method also includes producing one or more productsbased on the generated production schedule.

According to a number of implementations, the present disclosure relatesto a planning system configured to generate a production schedule. Theplanning system includes a family module configured to group productsinto families based on geometric properties; a priority moduleconfigured to prioritize lots within individual families; a constraintsmodule configured to determine production constraints and raw materialconstraints; a scheduling module configured to generate a productionschedule that reduces changeover times by ordering lots withinindividual families based on priority and geometric similarity; and acontroller configured to control operation of one or more modules of theplanning system.

In some embodiments, the planning system also includes a planning datastore that includes information regarding geometric properties ofproducts to be produced. In further embodiments, the planning data storeinclude information regarding customer orders. In further embodiments,the priority module is configured to analyze information regardingcustomer orders stored in the planning data store to prioritize lotswithin individual families. In further embodiments, the family module isconfigured to analyze information regarding geometric properties ofproducts to group products into families.

In some embodiments, the scheduling module is further configured togenerate the production schedule so that products from differentfamilies are process in parallel. In some embodiments, the schedulingmodule is further configured to generate the production schedule so thatproducts with a higher priority are processed before products with alower priority. In further embodiments, the priority module isconfigured to assign products to a higher priority where the productssatisfy customer demands.

For purposes of summarizing the disclosure, certain aspects, advantagesand novel features have been described herein. It is to be understoodthat not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordancewith any particular embodiment. Thus, the disclosed embodiments may becarried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage orgroup of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving otheradvantages as may be taught or suggested herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a planning system in a semiconductor manufacturingfacility setup with a flow shop scheme.

FIG. 2 illustrates a flow chart of an example method for groupingproducts into families.

FIG. 3 illustrates a flow chart of an example method for prioritizingproducts within families.

FIG. 4 illustrates a flow chart of an example method for assessingconstraints on processing capacity.

FIG. 5 illustrates a matrix demonstrating different kinds of changeoversand when they occur.

FIG. 6 illustrates a matrix demonstrating when changeovers occur whenswitching products families.

FIG. 7 illustrates a flow chart of an example method for schedulingproduction in a flow shop.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example of workflow to produce a production plan.

FIG. 9 illustrates a flowchart of an example method for generating asequence for production plan.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS

The headings provided herein, if any, are for convenience only and donot necessarily affect the scope or meaning of the claimed invention.

Introduction

The planning process is a common problem for any semiconductormanufacturing that is particularly difficult to resolve due to the largenumber of variables that affect the decisions to be made. That makes itdifficult to optimize the total completion time, or makespan, of theproducts to be completed. In particular, production planning affectsproductivity in a high tech semiconductor company due at least in partto the high quantity of machine changeovers (e.g., machine or relatedchanges in configurations or setups). A manufacturing work plan relatesto the sequence of the production orders and it is advantageous that theschedule reduces or minimizes idle times caused by equipment changeoversor setups. Different kinds of changeovers cause varying amounts of delayranging from small changeovers (e.g., a lot setup, a recipe setup, or atool setup) to large changeovers (e.g., changing a product dimension).

In some flow shops, machine loading or sequencing is accomplished at thelevel of the product or part with a lack of consideration regarding anysimilarities in geometry of the products. As described herein, changingthe geometry of products during testing (or manufacturing) causes largertransition times than changes caused by tool or recipe setups. This canreduce productivity of the shop. Such inefficient plans or schedules canarise when the plan or schedule assigns the first machine available tothe next lot. Moreover, such inefficient plans or schedules can arisewhen the plan or schedule does not take into account changeover timesfor different sequences of products.

Accordingly, described herein are systems and methods for producingmanufacturing schedules that reduce or limit changeover times bysequencing products having the same or similar product geometry to formproduction batches. This reduces wait times during manufacturing ortesting by reducing the number of major setups between productionbatches, thereby reducing idle time caused by changing or adjustingmachines or tools in the process. The systems and methods provide aflexible model for the manufacture planning in the electrical test areaof a high-tech semiconductor company, with the characteristics ofhigh-mix and high-volume. The systems and methods described hereinreduce cycle makespan, increase on-time delivery, and reduce manufacturecosts.

In some embodiments, the disclosed systems and methods groupmanufactured products into families primarily on the basis of similarityin geometries. Families can be defined based on various design ormanufacturing attributes, such as, for example and without limitation,shape, size, surface texture, material type, raw material estate, or anycombination of these. By grouping products based on technicalsimilarities (such as geometries, electrical contact configuration,etc.) to schedule lots in batches reduces setup times on the machinesand increases efficiency.

A makespan minimization problem that considers setup times and batchprocessing on machines is important in manufacturing industries, such assemiconductor manufacturers. It is NP-hard (e.g., a complex solutionproblem) even for basic or simple shop models. Given the problemcomplexity, solutions generally have a high computational cost.Disclosed herein are alternatives to high-cost algorithms, which arefrequently unacceptable in real conditions of semiconductormanufacturing.

Described herein are, among others, systems and methods associated withelectrical test planning in a semiconductor manufacturing context.Within an electrical test planning system in the semiconductor industry,various models that allow superior utilization of installed capacity aredisclosed herein. The workflow in a manufacturing plant and informationflow in electrical test planning systems were analyzed to developsystems and methods to reduce or minimize setup times on manufacturingand testing equipment. The disclosed systems and methods generatemanufacturing schedules or plans based primarily on product familiesrather than product numbers. Within families, products can beprioritized based at least in part on customer and/or market demands.

In some embodiments, a planning system, a modeling method, a planningmodel, and/or a manufacture planning method can include one or morefeatures, individually or in any combination, among the various examplesdisclosed herein. Although much of the disclosure refers toimplementation in an electrical testing area, the disclosed systems andmethods can be used to any discrete manufacturing business thatsequences production orders. It should also be noted that thedescription refers to products and parts interchangeably, both referringto individual production units for manufacture or testing.

It should also be noted that the disclosed systems and methods areconfigured to reduce or optimize the maximum completion time (makespan)of all jobs in a schedule or plan. A performance measure used toevaluate a schedule is the maximum completion time (makespan) which canrepresent the throughput measure.

In addition, the systems and methods disclosed herein are directed tomanufacturing schedules and plans for flow shops. A flow shop can be amulti-stage production system with more than one parallel machine ateach stage. In a flow shop products go through the systemunidirectionally, e.g., stage 1, then stage 2, and so on. A flexibleflow shop includes shops where some products can skip some stages. Insome flow shops, parallel machines at the same stage can be identicaland can be limited to a single operation. However, in some semiconductorback-end facilities and in some other factories (with very differentproduct families), parallel machines could belong to different machinetypes. Each machine type may be limited to processing a subset ofproduct families and has a unique processing time for each productfamily. The machines used to test packaged chips can perform differenttypes of tests, and there can be a minor setup time between differenttests even for the products within the same lot. Similarly, there can bea minor setup time between testing different lots of the same product.

FIG. 1 illustrates a planning system 100 in a semiconductormanufacturing facility setup with a flow shop scheme. The planningsystem 100 is configured to generate a production plan based at least inpart on product families to increase efficiency of the manufacturingfacility. The planning system 100 can be configured to perform one ormore of the methods described herein. For example, the planning system100 can include a computer readable media, such as memory 104 and/or aplanning data store 106, that includes computer-executable instructionsconfigured to cause a controller 102 to perform one or more of the stepsof the methods described herein.

The planning system 100 can include hardware, software, and/or firmwarecomponents used to group products into families, prioritize productproduction, determine machine changeover times, and to determinemanufacture schedules that increase or optimize manufacturing efficiencyof products. The planning system 100 can be configured to receiveinformation from various sources of input and to automatically determineor update a production schedule based at least in part on the receivedinformation. The planning system 100 can include a controller 102,memory 104, a planning data store 106, a family module 110, a prioritymodule 120, a constraints module 130, and a scheduling module 140.Components of the planning system 100 can communicate with one another,with external systems, and with other components of a manufacturingfacility over communication bus 108. The planning system 100 can employany method described herein for determining production schedules,including methods for grouping products into families, determiningproduction priorities, and/or determining estimated changeover times forchanging production to a different product or family. These include themethods described herein with respect to FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 7, and 9.

The planning system 100 includes the family module 110. The familymodule 110 can be configured to analyze data from the planning datastore 106. The data can include, for example without limitation, productinformation, customer demands, previous sales, testing times associatedwith products, previous test results, and the like. Product informationcan include size, materials, electrical contact configuration, shape,surface texture, material type, raw material estate, and the like. Thefamily module 110 can be configured to analyze the data in the planningdata store 106 to group products into one or more families. Thisanalysis can be provided automatically and can be updated automaticallywhen new information related to products is provided in the planningdata store 106. A family can be defined as a group of products havingsimilarity in one or more product characteristics. In particular, afamily can be defined as a group products having a similar geometry. Insome embodiments, the family can be defined as products that cause smallchangeovers when changing lots. For example, products within a familycause changeovers such as lot set up, recipe set up, and/or tool set up.Changes between families cause large changeovers due to productdissimilarity. For example, products with dissimilar geometries canrequire family set up when changing between products of different lotsthat are within different families. The family module 110 can beconfigured to perform the method 200 described herein with reference toFIG. 2. In some embodiments, the family module 110 can be configured toperform any portion or step of the method 200, any portion of the method700 described herein with reference to FIG. 7, or can be utilized inimplementing the method 700 described herein with reference to FIG. 7.

By way of example, the family module 110 can be configured to analyze aplurality of products in the planning data store 106. The family module110 can be configured to extract geometry information about theplurality of products. The family module 110 can be configured to groupproducts based on similar geometry configurations. The family module 110can be configured to create a family of products where the products havesufficiently similar geometries so that changing between products in thefamily does not cause a family changeover. For example, products withina family can have geometries that are similar to within about 10%, towithin about 5%, were to within about 1%. In some embodiments, thegeometry of the first product is similar to the geometry of secondproduct where a length, width, and/or height of the first product arewithin a threshold amount of the length, width, and/or height of thesecond product. In some embodiments, family changeovers can be definedas any set of that requires more than about 150 minutes.

The planning system 100 includes the priority module 120. The prioritymodule 120 can be configured to analyze data in the planning data store106. The analysis of the data can include customer demands, previousproduction amounts, forecasted production amounts, buffer amounts, andthe like. The priority module 120 can be configured to automaticallyanalyze this data to determine priority groups based on one or more ofthose categories. This can be accomplished automatically and updated inreal time. For example, when new customer requests arrive, whenproduction forecasts are updated, or when similar changes occur, thepriority module 120 can be configured to update priorities. The prioritymodule 120 can be configured to assign priorities to lots within afamily based on the analysis of the data. The priority module 120 can beconfigured to provide a fixed number of priority levels or it can beconfigured to generate a flexible number of priority levels. Thepriority module 120 can be configured to assign products to a definedpriority level. Priority module 120 can be configured to analyze eachfamily defined by the family module 110 and to assign priority to eachproduct within that family. The priority module 120 can be configured toperform the method 300 described herein with reference to FIG. 3. Thepriority module 120 can be configured to perform any part of the method300 described herein with reference to FIG. 3, any part of the method700 described herein with reference to FIG. 7, or can be utilized inimplementing the method of FIG. 7.

By way of example, the priority module 120 can be configured to find 3priority levels. A first priority level can correspond to confirmedorders by customers. A second priority level can correspond to productsto buffer demand peaks. A third priority level can correspond toproducts that satisfy forecasted future demands. The priority module 120can assign equipment capacity to a family with products of the firstpriority level, and after that has been assigned, to assign products ofthe second priority level within the same family, and after that hasbeen assigned, to assign products of the third priority level within thesame family. The priority module 120 can analyze customer demandscorresponding to particular products. This analysis can be used toassign priority within families determined by the family module 110. Foreach product within a family, the priority module 120 can assign apriority level to the product. This can be used by the scheduling module140 to determine a manufacturing or testing schedule.

The planning system 100 includes the constraints module 130. Theconstraints module 130 can be configured to analyze data in the planningdata store 106 wherein the data corresponds to capacity for productionand raw material capacity. These capacities represent constraints onproduction or testing. Constraints can be related to equipmentavailability, material availability, and the like. The constraintsmodule 130 can be configured to automatically generate constraintinformation that is passed to the scheduling module 142 facilitateschedule generation. The automatic generation of constraint informationcan be updated in real time based on changes to data in the planningdata store 106. The constraints module 130 can be configured to indicatewhen a proposed production or testing plan violates one or moreconstraints. The constraints module 130 can be configured to absorb neworders were changes in orders such that when such changes occur theproduction plan can be modified to incorporate the changes withoutviolating constraints. The constraints module 130 can be configured toperform the method 300 described herein with reference to FIG. 3. Insome embodiments, the constraints module 130 can be implemented toperform any part of the method 300 described herein with reference toFIG. 3, any part of the method 700 described herein with reference toFIG. 7, or can be utilized to implement the method 700.

By way of example, the constraints module 130 can be configured toreceive a proposed plan and to analyze the plan against productionand/or raw material constraints. If the proposed plan violates thoseconstraints, it can send a signal to the scheduling module 140indicating that the proposed plan violates constraints. For example, ifa proposed plan requires more machines than are available, theconstraints module 130 can indicate that the proposed plan violatesconstraints. Similarly, if a proposed plan requires more raw materialsand are available, the constraints module 130 can indicate that theproposed plan violates constraints.

As another example, the constraints module 130 can be configured todetermine production and/or raw material constraints and provide thatinformation to the scheduling module 140. The constraints module 130 cananalyze the number of functioning machines and their roles to determinea production constraint. Similarly, the constraints module 130 cananalyze available raw material to determine a raw materials constraint.Each of these constraints can be passed to the scheduling module 140 foruse in generating a production plan.

The planning system 100 includes the scheduling module 140. Thescheduling module can be configured to analyze families, priorities, andconstraints from respective modules 110, 120, 130. The scheduling module140 can use this information from these modules to automaticallygenerate a production plan. The production plan can be updated by thescheduling module 140 when new information is received such as newcustomer orders, updates to constraints, and/or updates to priorities.These updates can occur in real-time or near real-time. For example, ifduring testing or production one or more products fails to arrive intime, the scheduling module 140 can be configured to update theproduction plan to increase or maximize machine utilization. Thescheduling module 140 can be configured to allocate resources on a perfamily basis. The scheduling module 140 can be configured to assign lotswithin a family to appropriate or targeted machines. The schedulingmodule 140 can be configured to determine changeover times correspondingto lot sequences. This information can be used to arrange the order ofthe lots within a family to reduce or minimize changeover time, toincrease machine utilization, the satisfy customer demands (e.g., basedon priority), and the like. The scheduling module 140 can createproduction plans that are capable of processing families in parallelbased on machine allocation and shop capacity (e.g., the number andtypes of machines available). To determine a production plan, thescheduling module 140 can perform an iterative procedure where it loopsthrough families and for each family it loops through lots to determinelot order and family resource allocation and machine assignation. Theoutput of the scheduling module 140 can be a production plan that can beimplemented for any suitable period of time such as a day, week, 2weeks, or longer. The scheduling module 140 can be configured to performthe method 700 described herein with reference to FIG. 7. In someembodiments, the scheduling module can be configured to implement anyportion of the method 700 and/or any portion of the methods describedherein with reference to FIGS. 2-4.

Each of the family module 110, the priority module 120, the constraintsmodule 130, and the scheduling module 140 can include one or moresoftware modules, hardware components, and/or firmware elementsconfigured to receive input or information and to generate appropriateoutput, as described herein, including, for example, family groupings ofproducts, priorities of families and/or products within families,changeover times, and production schedules. Each of the modules 110,120, 130, 140 can include a computer processor, an application-specificintegrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), orother suitable microprocessor. In some embodiments, one or more modules110, 120, 130, 140 share a computer processor (e.g., the controller102), memory (e.g., the memory 104), or data stores (e.g., the planningdata store 106).

The planning system 100 includes a controller 102. The controller 102can be configured to control operation of the modules 110, 120, 130, 140as well as the memory 104 and/or the planning data store 106. Thecontroller 102 can include any suitable microprocessor and othercomputing components configured to interface with the various modules,processors, and data stores of the planning system 100.

The planning system 100 includes memory 104. The memory 104 can beconfigured to store computer-executable instructions and other datarelated to calculations or algorithms being implemented in the planningsystem 100. The memory 104 can be any suitable memory device or devicesincluding, for example and without limitation, random access memory,read-only memory, solid-state disks, hard drives, flash drives, bubblememory, and the like.

The planning system 100 includes the planning data store 106 configuredto store information related to product properties (e.g., productgeometries), machine changeover properties (e.g., changeover times fromproduct to product), production capacity, raw material constraints,customer orders, forecasted demands, manufacturing facility properties,manufacturing equipment status, algorithms, executable instructions(e.g., instructions for the controller 102), and the like. The planningdata store 106 can include one or more databases. The planning datastore 106 can be any suitable data storage device or computer readablemedium including, for example and without limitation, random accessmemory, read-only memory, solid-state disks, hard drives, flash drives,bubble memory, and the like. In some embodiments, a portion of theplanning data store 106 can be accessible by the planning system throughthe Internet, such as where a portion of the planning data store 106includes cloud-based storage.

Grouping Products into Families

FIG. 2 illustrates a flow chart of an example method 200 for groupingproducts into families. The method 200 can be implemented by theplanning system 100 or the family module 110 described herein withreference to FIG. 1. For ease of description, the method 200 will bedescribed as being performed by a planning system, such as the planningsystem 100 described herein with reference to FIG. 1. It should beunderstood, however, that any suitable system or module described hereincan perform any step or any portion of a step in the method 200.Likewise, it should be understood that any suitable combination ofsystems or modules described herein can perform the method 200.

In some embodiments, a family represents products that share the samegeometry (e.g., the size and the height) of the microcircuit. Similarly,a family can represent products that do not require major adjustmentsbetween lots. By managing planning with a focus on a product familyrather than on a part number (product) level, improvements in planefficiency can be realized. This can facilitate execution of theproduction plan and fulfillment when a product in the scheduled lotsequence is replaced by another one of a similar geometry, which isavailable for processing.

In step 205, the planning system analyzes characteristics of products ina data store. The characteristics can include design or manufacturingattributes such as, for example and without limitation, shape, size,surface texture, material type, raw material estate, or any combinationof these. Merely by way of example, without intention to limit thedisclosure, the method 200 focuses on creating families based on similargeometries. The planning system can be configured to determine ranges ofthe characteristics, variations in the characteristics, similarities orequivalences in the characteristics, and the like. This can be used todetermine when a characteristic of a product is similar to anotherproduct.

In step 210, the planning system identifies common characteristicsbetween different products. For example, the planning system can beconfigured to identify similar geometries where the geometries ofproducts fall within targeted ranges. In some embodiments, based on theanalysis in step 205, the planning system can determine productsimilarity based on variations between products. For example, wherevariations are less than 1%, 5%, or 10% the planning system candetermine that those products have common characteristics. Inparticular, if the size and/or height of a product is within a targetedrange of another product, the planning system can indicate that thoseproducts have common characteristics. The targeted range can be lessthan 1%, less than 5% and/or less than 10%.

In step 215, the planning system generates families based onsimilarities of characteristics. The planning system can use the resultsof the analysis in step 210 to group products into families. Whereproducts have common characteristics, the products can be grouped intofamilies by the planning system. Where products do not have commoncharacteristics, the products can be put into different families by theplanning system. Within a family, the planning system can group productsinto lots based on similarity of products. For example, lots can beassigned where products have the same part number. In some embodiments,lots can be assigned where products have identical geometries. In someembodiments, lots can be assigned where products have identicalelectrical contact configurations or other identical configurations. Insome embodiments, families are limited to products that have identicalgeometries.

Furthermore, product families can be established by classifying productsaccording to priority as well as geometry. Priority can be determinedbased on the quantity of parts to be produced in each geometry. FIG. 3illustrates a flow chart of an example method 300 for prioritizingproducts within families. The method 300 can be implemented by theplanning system 100 or the priority module 120 described herein withreference to FIG. 1. For ease of description, the method 300 will bedescribed as being performed by a planning system, such as the planningsystem 100 described herein with reference to FIG. 1. It should beunderstood, however, that any suitable system or module described hereincan perform any step or any portion of a step in the method 300.Likewise, it should be understood that any suitable combination ofsystems or modules described herein can perform the method 200.

Planning can be implemented based at least in part on the followingpriorities where products are grouped into families. First, load theequipment capacity assigned to a family with products of highestpriority. Second, once a product of the highest priority type completesits allocation, assign a product of the second highest priority type ofthe same family. Third, once products of the second highest prioritytype complete their allocation, assign capacity to a lot within thecurrent family of the third highest priority type. This process cancontinue in this manner for lower and lower priority lots within afamily. In some embodiments, priority can be divided into three groupswhere priority A is the highest priority and includes confirmed ordersby customers, priority B is the second highest priority and includesproduction to buffer against peaks in demands, and priority C is thethird highest priority and includes production based on forecasts offuture demands.

In step 305, the planning system can analyze product demands based ondata in a data store. Product demands can correspond to customer orders,previous customer orders, forecasted demands, targeted buffers forproducts, and the like. The data in the data store can be updated andthe planning system can be configured to update its analysis of productdemands in real-time.

In step 310, the planning system can be configured to determinecategories of demand based on the analysis performed in step 305.Categories of demand can correspond to actual customer orders, buffersfor demand peaks, and forecasted future demands. In some embodiments,the planning system can create additional categories of demand based onthe analysis performed in step 305.

In step 315, the planning system generates priority levels for thedetermined categories. The planning system can assign priorities in ahierarchical structure so that high priorities are sequenced in aproduction plan before lower priorities. In some embodiments, theplanning system retrieves priority levels from a data store to generatethe priority levels. In this way, the planning system can utilizepredetermined priority levels.

In step 320, the planning system assigns products to priority levels.The planning system can be configured to determine which productssatisfy the demand categories and assign those products to associatedpriority levels. For example, products that fulfill customer orders areassigned to a demand category corresponding to customer orders and areconsequently assigned to a corresponding priority level. In someembodiments, products that fulfill customer orders are given the highestpriority.

Constraints on Scheduling

FIG. 4 illustrates a flow chart of an example method 400 for assessingconstraints on processing capacity. The method 400 can be implemented bythe planning system 100 or the constraints module 130 described hereinwith reference to FIG. 1. For ease of description, the method 400 willbe described as being performed by a planning system, such as theplanning system 100 described herein with reference to FIG. 1. It shouldbe understood, however, that any suitable system or module describedherein can perform any step or any portion of a step in the method 400.Likewise, it should be understood that any suitable combination ofsystems or modules described herein can perform the method 400.

In step 405, the planning system determines constraints on capacity.This can correspond to a number of machines in a flow shop, the numberof machines that are occupied, the number of machines that are suitablefor use in a particular production or tests, and the like. The planningsystem can be configured to determine the capabilities of each machineas a relates to production or testing. For example, for each machine theplanning system can be configured to determine which products can beused in the machine and the length of time each product would spend witheach machine. The planning system, as it determines constraints oncapacity, is configured to analyze production capacity in view oftargeted production goals. Accordingly, the planning system isconfigured to assess whether a production plan can be accomplished giventhe determined capacity constraints.

In step 410, the planning system determines constraints on rawmaterials. This can correspond to the amount of raw materials in a flowshop that are available for production or testing. The planning systemcan be configured to determine the amount of raw material required foreach product in production plan or in a test plan. The planning system,as it determines constraints on raw materials, is configured to analyzeraw material capacity in view of targeted production goals. Accordingly,the planning system is configured to assess whether a production plancan be accomplished given the determined raw material constraints.

In step 415, the planning system updates a production plan based on thedetermined constraints. For example, if a production plan violates oneor more constraints, the planning system can update the production planto reduce production so that it does not violate these constraints.Similarly, the planning system updates a production plan to increaseproduction if the proposed production plan falls below the determinedconstraints by a targeted amount. For example, if the proposedproduction plan falls to less than 75%, less than 60%, less than 50% ofcapacity, the planning system can update the production plan to increaseproduction.

Changeovers

FIG. 5 illustrates a matrix demonstrating different kinds of changeoversand when they occur. The matrix includes tools T1, T2, T3, and T4. Thematrix also includes part numbers A, B, C, D, E, F, G. Part numbers A,B, and C correspond to tools T1, part numbers D and E correspond to toolT2, part number F corresponds to tool T3, and part number G correspondsto tool T4. As shown by the matrix, when production switches betweenidentical part numbers there is a lot set up that occurs. Similarly,when production switches between different part numbers that utilize thesame tool, a recipe set up occurs. The matrix also shows that whenproduction switches between different part numbers that utilizedifferent tools, a tool set up occurs.

FIG. 6 illustrates a matrix demonstrating the changeovers occur whenswitching products families. The matrix includes 4 families: F1, F2, F3,and F4. The matrix shows that when production switches between differentfamilies, a family set up occurs.

As described herein, the changeovers that occur in the matrix of FIG. 5represent minor or small changeovers. The changeovers that occur in thematrix of FIG. 6, however, represent a major or large changeover. Inthis context, the magnitude of a changeover corresponds to the length oftime required to accomplish the changeover or set up.

Scheduling Production in a Flow Shop

FIG. 7 illustrates a flow chart of an example method for schedulingproduction in a flow shop. The method 700 can be implemented by theplanning system 100 or the scheduling module 140 described herein withreference to FIG. 1. For ease of description, the method 700 will bedescribed as being performed by a planning system, such as the planningsystem 100 described herein with reference to FIG. 1. It should beunderstood, however, that any suitable system or module described hereincan perform any step or any portion of a step in the method 700.Likewise, it should be understood that any suitable combination ofsystems or modules described herein can perform the method 700.

In step 705, the planning system group products into families. Theplanning system can utilize any suitable method for grouping productsinto families such as the method 200 described herein with reference toFIG. 2. In step 710, the planning system prioritizes lots within eachfamily. The planning system can utilize any suitable method forprioritizing lots within a family such as the method 300 describedherein with reference to FIG. 3. In step 715, the planning systemassesses constraints. The planning system can utilize any suitablemethod for assessing constraints such as the method 400 described hereinwith reference to FIG. 4. In step 720, the planning system reduceschangeover times by ordering lots within a family. The planning systemcan be configured to order lots so that minor setups occur prior tomajor setups. In some embodiments, changeovers can be arranged in ahierarchy ranging from smallest to largest such as lot setups, recipesetups, tool set up, and family changeovers. The planning system can beconfigured to generate a production plan based on the ordered lotswithin the families where the ordered lots are also based on priority.If the production plan that is generated by the planning system violatesany constraints, the planning system is configured to iterativelyreconfigure the order of lots so that constraints are not violated.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example of workflow to produce a production plan.Each component or entity can represent a system or module within aplanning system or a production facility. A supply chain (SCM) 802prepares a Master Production Schedule (MPS) in block 812. Industrialengineering 804 receives, validates and provides feedback to the MPS toindicate production capacity constraints along the production line inblocks 816 and 818. Industrial engineering 804 can be configured toindicate if it is feasible to process the required volume in block 818.Raw materials 806 is configured to receive, validate and providefeedback for material constraints to avoid delays in blocks 820 and 822.

Production control 808 develops a detailed production plan for thecurrent week (n) and for the next week (n+1) in block 824. Productioncontrol 808 reviews the production plan generated by SCM 802 to verifythe volume planned fir delivery in block 826. Production control 808prepares a detailed daily production plan for the plant in block 828.The production plan can be configured to fill the installed capacity,achieve cost absorption levels, and/or fulfill on-time delivery orders(OTD). Production control 808 releases the orders to the workshop floorto implement the production schedule in block 830. Production control808 also ensures on-time delivery for products to finish goods in block832.

FIG. 9 illustrates a flowchart of an example method 900 for generating asequence for production plan. The demand signal embedded in the MPS 902and the capacity analysis can be used as input. The information ondemand and knowledge on product characteristics provide a way togenerate a classification of the products on the family level. Themethod 900 also allows for assigning of delivery priority at the momentof assigning the lots to a machine. This is used to define the equipmentto be assigned for each family. In the method 900, lots are firstsequenced according to their highest priority (to produce for demand),followed by those with medium priority (to produce for inventory) andending with the lowest priority (to produce for the forecast).

The master plan schedule (MPS) is generated in block 902. Capacityanalysis is performed in block 904 based on capacity constraintsprovided by family resource allocation 906 and availability 907 as wellas lot assignments in block 910. Family resource allocation isaccomplished in block 906 and is based at least in part on availabilityof resources provided by availability data 907. Prioritization isaccomplished in block 908 where an input to the prioritization block isdue date information 909. Lot assignment to individual machines orgroups of machines is accomplished in block 910. Based on the sequenceof analyses provided in blocks 904, 906, 908, 910, delivery commitmentscan be adjusted using a feedback loop from the lot assignment block 910to the MPS block 902.

The method 900 iterates through families and through lots. In block 914,a decision is made as to whether the last lot has been analyzed. If theanswer is yes, the method proceeds to the family sequence block 916where lots are ordered within a new family. The method then proceeds todetermine whether the last family has been analyzed. If there areadditional families, then the method proceeds back to the prioritizationblock 908 to prioritize lots within the family.

If the method has additional lots to analyze, the method proceeds to thesetup block 912 to determine which type of setup is to be performed andthe time required for that particular setup. Process flows back to thedecision block 914.

If the last family has been analyzed, the method proceeds to produce adetailed production plan in block 920.

Simulation and Example Implementation of Planning System

The following description corresponds to testing of the proposed systemsand methods using simulated data and controlled production runs in anelectrical testing facility. Data from a sample production month wereused to perform a simulation and then compare the results of thesimulation to different theoretical scenarios. For the controlledproduction run, a planning system was implemented based on the systemsand methods described herein. A single family was used to determine theefficiency of the disclosed planning systems and methods.

As a first step, products are grouped into families. To extract allgeometries of the products that are manufactured and/or tested in thetest facility and to group products into families, a product catalog andproduct portfolio were analyzed. Table 1 shows the number of geometricvariations in the catalog and portfolio, where approximately 67% of thegeometries are active. Thus, these products are in the highest demandand can be prioritized accordingly.

TABLE 1 Products Quantity Geometries Heights Active 556 70 11 Inactive533 34 5 Totals 1089 104 16

Three product types were established based on priority. The prioritieswere classified according to a system having A-B-C categories ofinventories. Category A is the highest priority, category B is middlepriority, and category C is the lowest priority. A summary of thesecategorizations is shown in Table 2. The priorities are a function ofthe number of products to be produced and the demands associated withthose products. Priorities can be assigned to products within the samefamily and can be arranged based on similarity of geometry and/orreduction of changeover ties between lots. Table 2 shows that differenttypes of geometry can be in high demand and the variety of products canbe relatively high, for example, resulting in about 66% of the demandconcentrated in 35 part numbers. This can be considered high volume andhigh frequency for the products in priority category A.

TABLE 2 Priority A B C Characteristics High volume, Medium volume, lowvolume, high frequency medium frequency low frequency Quantity 65.90%24.75% 9.35% Part Numbers 35 114 407 Geometries 8 12 50

As described herein, priorities for the planning and the simulation andcontrolled production run were assigned in the following manner.Products having category a prioritization were used to fill equipmentcapacity for a particular family. Products in category A correspond toconfirmed orders by customers. Products of priority category B wereassigned after products of category A were allocated. Products incategory B correspond to products that buffer peaks in demand. Finally,products of priority category C were assigned after products of categoryB were allocated. Products in category C correspond to products thatsatisfy forecasted future demands.

To model a batch sequence, many activities were performed, starting withthe definition of the setup types to set a relationship between productgeometry and setup time. Once these times were determined, a study ofthe workshop information was used to build a general model of the lotsequencing.

The setup types were sorted according to their length from low to highas follows. The least amount of time corresponds to a lot setup. A lotsetup is performed when the next lot in the sequence corresponds to thesame part number or product. This adjustment process includes purgingthe equipment, cleaning the blower, and feeding a new lot.

The next changeover consumes more time than a lot setup and correspondsto a recipe setup. A recipe setup is performed when the next lot in thesequence has a different part number (e.g., is a different product) andthe symmetry contactor is the same as the previous lot. This minor setupincludes loading the recipe, correlating variables, and the activitiesrelated to a lot setup, as described above.

The next changeover consumes more time than a recipe setup andcorresponds to a tool setup. A tool setup is performed when the next lothas a different part number and the contactor symmetry is not compatiblewith the current test tool. This changeover includes tool installation,fine-tuning, the activities associated with the recipe setup, and theactivities associated with the lot setup, as described above.

The longest changeover time occurs when a new family is introduced orwhen a new product is introduced that has a dissimilar product geometry.A family setup is performed when the next batch has a differentgeometry, so that machine adjustments are performed on the handler andthe tester. This major setup includes handler kit installation, handlerfine-tuning, activities associated with a tool setup, activitiesassociated with a recipe setup, and activities associated with a lotsetup.

These machine setup activities were classified by sorting the changesfrom a minor setup (e.g., the lot setup) to a major setup (e.g., thefamily setup or batch change). The setup times for ranges of geometriesand different example machines are shown in Table 3.

TABLE 3 Geometric Ranges Changeover Type M1 (min.) M2 (min.) M1: 1 to3.9 Lot setup 10 ± 2.5 8 ± 2  M2: 1.6 to 2.8 Recipe setup 30 ± 5.5  45 ±12.3 Tool setup  90 ± 13.2 135 ± 51.4 Family setup 290 ± 62.3 430 ± 93.2M1: 4 to 6.9 Lot setup 10 ± 2.5 8 ± 2  M2: 2.9 to 4.5 Recipe setup 30 ±4.8 45 ± 7.9 Tool setup 90 ± 7.8 98.2 ± 35.4  Family setup 210 ± 42.1340 ± 38.4 M1: 7 to 11 Lot setup 10 ± 2.5 8 ± 2  M2: 4.6 to 5.5 Recipesetup 30 ± 3.2 45 ± 5.4 Tool setup 90 ± 6.2  89 ± 22.1 Family setup 170± 33.5 260 ± 25.1

A matrix of the machine changeovers according to the setup types wasprepared for the products which belong to the same family (e.g., seeFIG. 5). According to the data, a minor setup corresponds to a lotchange. If the next product in the sequence shares the same installedtool, then a recipe change is performed. If the next product in thesequence is not compatible with the installed tools, then a tool setupis done. In the case where the next product geometry is different, afamily setup is performed. Individual family matrices can beconsolidated into a single matrix that includes all the families thatare extracted from the product catalog.

Since each family has different adjustment times, three standard rangesof the geometries were established. This information was combined withinformation regarding machine type (e.g., M1 and M2) and is summarizedin Table 3. A single matrix was structured that contains all thefamilies that exist in the catalog (e.g., see FIG. 6). When changingfrom one family to another, a family changeover is performed andincludes, as described herein, setting the handler, tool setup, recipesetup, lot setup, and cleaning. In contrast, if the change correspondsto products within the same family, these changeover times areconsiderably smaller.

Due to the nature of the test process of the electronic components,there are two machine types (M1 and M2). The information is groupedfirst by the machine and then by the package geometry range (e.g.,family). Table 3 shows the machine setup times for particular kinds ofsetup adjustments. When the last lot of the last batch (family) isallocated, a detailed production plan is generated for a period of oneweek starting on Saturday at 12:00 a.m. and ending on Friday at 11:59p.m. This means that each machine has totally 168 hours per week, with atolerance of about 10%, therefore representing about 151.2 hours perweek, per machine. This time includes production processing time inaddition to any idle time due to a changeover (e.g., lot setup, recipesetup, tool setup, and/or family setup).

The process of production planning follows the workflow described hereinwith reference to FIG. 8. From a study of the information flows in thetest area and an analysis of the setup structure, a general planningmodel was obtained, as described herein with reference to FIG. 9.

Data from a sample production month were used to perform a simulationand the results from the simulation were used to compare results fromdifferent simulated scenarios. The controlled testing within theelectrical test facility was performed using a planning algorithm asdisclosed herein. This was used to confirm the efficiency of thedisclosed lot sequencing systems and methods.

To simulate the model, a family type A, corresponding to a geometry of8.15×5.6 (which is used in three different part numbers) and a singletool type were selected. Table 4 shows adjustments or changeover timescorresponding to changes between different products or set up timesbetween products of the same part number. For example, a lot set upbetween products of the same part number takes 10 minutes, whereas arecipe set up between products of different part numbers takes 30minutes. The selected family represents a product volume that fills acapacity equivalent to 80 M1 machines of 410 machines dedicated toperforming electrical testing.

TABLE 4 Adjustments (min.) Part No. X-1 X-2 W-1 X-1 10 30 30 X-2 30 1030 W-1 30 30 10

To verify planning systems and methods disclosed herein, the informationon the production volumes and the level of demand for each manufacturedpart number were obtained. The processed lots were filtered tocorrespond to the geometry 8.15×5.6 in a one-month test period. Table 5shows an extracted section of lots with corresponding Part Nos. (e.g.,products), which were processed during this month. Table 5 shows thevolume of the processed lot and the lot cycle time. Qty In denotes thenumber of pieces in the lot when it arrives at the machine. StartingProcess Time denotes the time the lot was loaded in the machine. EndProcess Time denotes the time the lot was unloaded from the machine. QtyOut denotes the number of good devices in the lot upon exiting themachine. It should be noted that some pieces were lost due to thenatural process of segregation.

TABLE 5 Lot Part No. Stage Qty In Start End Qty Out 1 X-2 TEST 7113 1/100:13:18 1/1 14:28:24 6836 2 X-2 TEST 5486 1/1 14:39:24 1/2 01:59:174891 3 X-2 TEST 6043 1/2 02:09:06 1/2 11:31:02 5971 4 X-2 TEST 6769 1/211:40:51 1/2 23:32:21 6463

Table 5 demonstrates the times used to process each piece as well asdifferent components of the testing process (e.g., feeding time,electric test time, withdrawal time, etc.). Table 6 shows timesassociated with testing the products. This data serves to calculate thetime that each lot spends being tested on the machine. In this table,the Part No. denotes the part number. Pkg Size denotes the packagegeometry. Test Time denotes the electrical test cycle time. Index Timedenotes the machine device feeding time. Threshold denotes the time thatcorresponds to withdrawal of the test devices from the test tool. CycleTime denotes the complete test time per piece. The information can beused to calculate the average test processing time of individualproducts. The times are given in seconds.

TABLE 6 Cycle Part No. Pkg Size Test Time Index Time Threshold Time X-18.15 × 5.6 1.10 0.00 0.14 1.24 X-2 8.15 × 5.6 1.40 0.14 0.15 1.54 W-18.15 × 5.6 1.15 0.14 0.15 1.29

To check the efficiency of the disclosed sequencing systems and methods,three scenarios of a test run were defined. First, a best case wasdefined as a test where only machines dedicated to a particular partnumber were considered. Thus, the idle time caused by the lot change wasconsidered and other setup times were discarded. Second, a worst casewas defined as sharing machines among different families. Thus, changinga lot introduces a family changeover or a family setup. Third, themodeled case was defined as a production plan produced by a system asdisclosed herein. In such a plan, changes are made to reduce or minimizesetup times, as described herein. The plan sequenced lots based on thevolumes ordered by the customers according to priority and part number.The total time to complete processing (e.g., manufacturing or testing)is based on the quantity of product and the average processing time perproduct (e.g., quantity of product×average processing time of product).Setup times correspond to standard setup times for lot changes, recipechanges, tool changes, or family changes. Thus, the total time dependson the sequence of lots in the process and the similarity between thoselots.

To calculate the simulated total processing time (Cmax), the start dateon the electrical test was defined as 01.01.2016 at 12:00 a.m, and theentirety of the processed lots was sequenced on the machine. Thecumulated time to process the total number of lots for this period wascalculated using the following formula:

$C_{\max} = {\sum\limits_{f = 1}^{F}{\sum\limits_{{Pri} = 1}^{3}{\sum\limits_{m = 1}^{M}{\sum\limits_{{Prod} = 1}^{P}\left( {{Q_{f,{Pri},m,{Prod}} \times {St}_{f,{Pri},{Prod}}} + {{Lot}\mspace{14mu}{setup}_{f,{Pri},m,{Prod}} \times {Same}\mspace{14mu}{PartNo}} + {{Recipe}\mspace{14mu}{setup}_{f,{Pri},m,{Prod}} \times {Different}\mspace{14mu}{ContactMask}} + {{Tool}\mspace{14mu}{setup}_{f,{Pri},m,{Prod}} \times {Same}\mspace{14mu}{ContactMask}} + {{Family}\mspace{14mu}{setup}_{f,{Pri},m,{Prod}} \times {Different}\mspace{14mu}{geomerty}}} \right)}}}}$where the notations used are: Q—Quantity of pieces, St—Standardprocessing time, f—Family, Pri—Priority, m—Assigned machine,Prod—Product or Part Number.

The total time depends on the previous product or lot and the nextproduct or lot on each machine. To account for this, four Booleanvariables are defined which take the value 1 and multiply it by thevalue of a corresponding setup time or, if absent, take the value 0. Thevariables are as follows: Same PartNo—the previous part number in thesequence is the same; Same ContactMask—the symmetry of the contactors inthe next lot is the same; Different ContactMask—the symmetry of thecontactors in the next lot is different; Different Geometry—the productgeometry in the part number of the next lot is different, where SamePartNo, Same ContactMask, Different ContactMask, DifferentGeometry∈(0,1).

The lot processing time and the setup time of each processed lot isconsidered, and the family change is applied with a duration ofapproximately 210 minutes at the beginning of a monthly period. Table 7presents the lot processing time for family 8.15×5.6 per scenario wherethe time is expressed in days.

TABLE 7 Scenario Start Finish CT (days) Best 1/1 00:00:00 1/23 02:07:0022.09 Worst 1/1 00:00:00 1/31 06:47:00 30.28 Proposed 1/1 00:00:00 1/2312:07:00 22.50

The information in Table 7 shows that in the case of moving from theproposed scenario to the best scenario results in a reduction of only0.42 days of testing. The worst case scenario represents a family changefor each lot processed in the factory. Accordingly, this indicates thatthe systems and methods disclosed herein, are relatively efficient andare near the best case scenario which assumes that all products beingprocessed or equal. Comparing the proposed scenario to the worst-casescenario, a gain of about 7.78 days per month is shown. This correspondsto an increase of about 26% in the installed capacity at the factory.

The systems and methods described herein demonstrate the benefits ofunderstanding product similarities. In particular, in a high techsemiconductor company with characteristics of high volume and high mixparticular advantages can be realized when planning based on productsimilarities. The disclosed systems and methods provides a foundationand structure for a planning system to make a detailed short-term planat the family level, to assign the required machines, to group productsinto the families, and to act quickly when a part number does not arriveas planned. By implementing the systems and methods described herein, acompany could attract more customers, produce more products, increasethe delivered volume to customers, and reduce operating costs, due atleast in part to machine depreciation being amortized in a greatervolume of products, thereby enhancing profitability for the company. Theproposed systems and methods may be exportable to any discretemanufacturing business that sequences production orders.

The present disclosure describes various features, no single one ofwhich is solely responsible for the benefits described herein. It willbe understood that various features described herein may be combined,modified, or omitted, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill.Other combinations and sub-combinations than those specificallydescribed herein will be apparent to one of ordinary skill, and areintended to form a part of this disclosure. Various methods aredescribed herein in connection with various flowchart steps and/orphases. It will be understood that in many cases, certain steps and/orphases may be combined together such that multiple steps and/or phasesshown in the flowcharts can be performed as a single step and/or phase.Also, certain steps and/or phases can be broken into additionalsub-components to be performed separately. In some instances, the orderof the steps and/or phases can be rearranged and certain steps and/orphases may be omitted entirely. Also, the methods described herein areto be understood to be open-ended, such that additional steps and/orphases to those shown and described herein can also be performed.

Some aspects of the systems and methods described herein canadvantageously be implemented using, for example, computer software,hardware, firmware, or any combination of computer software, hardware,and firmware. Computer software can comprise computer executable codestored in a computer readable medium (e.g., non-transitory computerreadable medium) that, when executed, performs the functions describedherein. In some embodiments, computer-executable code is executed by oneor more general purpose computer processors. A skilled artisan willappreciate, in light of this disclosure, that any feature or functionthat can be implemented using software to be executed on a generalpurpose computer can also be implemented using a different combinationof hardware, software, or firmware. For example, such a module can beimplemented completely in hardware using a combination of integratedcircuits. Alternatively or additionally, such a feature or function canbe implemented completely or partially using specialized computersdesigned to perform the particular functions described herein ratherthan by general purpose computers.

Multiple distributed computing devices can be substituted for any onecomputing device described herein. In such distributed embodiments, thefunctions of the one computing device are distributed (e.g., over anetwork) such that some functions are performed on each of thedistributed computing devices.

Some embodiments may be described with reference to equations,algorithms, and/or flowchart illustrations. These methods may beimplemented using computer program instructions executable on one ormore computers. These methods may also be implemented as computerprogram products either separately, or as a component of an apparatus orsystem. In this regard, each equation, algorithm, block, or step of aflowchart, and combinations thereof, may be implemented by hardware,firmware, and/or software including one or more computer programinstructions embodied in computer-readable program code logic. As willbe appreciated, any such computer program instructions may be loadedonto one or more computers, including without limitation a generalpurpose computer or special purpose computer, or other programmableprocessing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the computerprogram instructions which execute on the computer(s) or otherprogrammable processing device(s) implement the functions specified inthe equations, algorithms, and/or flowcharts. It will also be understoodthat each equation, algorithm, and/or block in flowchart illustrations,and combinations thereof, may be implemented by special purposehardware-based computer systems which perform the specified functions orsteps, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer-readableprogram code logic means.

Furthermore, computer program instructions, such as embodied incomputer-readable program code logic, may also be stored in a computerreadable memory (e.g., a non-transitory computer readable medium) thatcan direct one or more computers or other programmable processingdevices to function in a particular manner, such that the instructionsstored in the computer-readable memory implement the function(s)specified in the block(s) of the flowchart(s). The computer programinstructions may also be loaded onto one or more computers or otherprogrammable computing devices to cause a series of operational steps tobe performed on the one or more computers or other programmablecomputing devices to produce a computer-implemented process such thatthe instructions which execute on the computer or other programmableprocessing apparatus provide steps for implementing the functionsspecified in the equation(s), algorithm(s), and/or block(s) of theflowchart(s).

Some or all of the methods and tasks described herein may be performedand fully automated by a computer system. The computer system may, insome cases, include multiple distinct computers or computing devices(e.g., physical servers, workstations, storage arrays, etc.) thatcommunicate and interoperate over a network to perform the describedfunctions. Each such computing device typically includes a processor (ormultiple processors) that executes program instructions or modulesstored in a memory or other non-transitory computer-readable storagemedium or device. The various functions disclosed herein may be embodiedin such program instructions, although some or all of the disclosedfunctions may alternatively be implemented in application-specificcircuitry (e.g., ASICs or FPGAs) of the computer system. Where thecomputer system includes multiple computing devices, these devices may,but need not, be co-located. The results of the disclosed methods andtasks may be persistently stored by transforming physical storagedevices, such as solid state memory chips and/or magnetic disks, into adifferent state.

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout thedescription and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and thelike are to be construed in an inclusive sense, as opposed to anexclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of“including, but not limited to.” The word “coupled”, as generally usedherein, refers to two or more elements that may be either directlyconnected, or connected by way of one or more intermediate elements.Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” “below,” and words of similarimport, when used in this application, shall refer to this applicationas a whole and not to any particular portions of this application. Wherethe context permits, words in the above Detailed Description using thesingular or plural number may also include the plural or singular numberrespectively. The word “or” in reference to a list of two or more items,that word covers all of the following interpretations of the word: anyof the items in the list, all of the items in the list, and anycombination of the items in the list.

The disclosure is not intended to be limited to the implementationsshown herein. Various modifications to the implementations described inthis disclosure may be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, andthe generic principles defined herein may be applied to otherimplementations without departing from the spirit or scope of thisdisclosure. The teachings of the invention provided herein can beapplied to other methods and systems, and are not limited to the methodsand systems described above, and elements and acts of the variousembodiments described above can be combined to provide furtherembodiments. Accordingly, the novel methods and systems described hereinmay be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, variousomissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the methods andsystems described herein may be made without departing from the spiritof the disclosure. The accompanying claims and their equivalents areintended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within thescope and spirit of the disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for scheduling production in a flowshop, the method comprising: grouping products into families based ongeometric similarities; within a family, grouping products into lots;prioritizing lots within individual families; determining a constrainton production capacity by analyzing a number of functioning machines inthe flow shop; determining a constraint on raw materials associated withproduction by analyzing a quantity of available raw material; generatinga production schedule that reduces changeover times by ordering lotswithin individual families; and updating the production schedule toproduce an updated production schedule responsive to a determinationthat the production schedule violates the determined constraint onproduction capacity or the determined constraint on raw materials. 2.The method of claim 1 wherein grouping products into families comprisesanalyzing characteristics of products to determine commoncharacteristics between products.
 3. The method of claim 2 whereingrouping products into families further comprises assigning products tofamilies wherein the products have identical geometries.
 4. The methodof claim 2 wherein grouping products into families further comprisesassigning products to families wherein the products have geometries thatdiffer by less than 5%.
 5. The method of claim 1 wherein prioritizinglots within individual families comprises determining customer demandsassociated with products and assigning a higher priority to thoseproducts.
 6. The method of claim 5 wherein prioritizing lots withinindividual families comprises assigning products to one of threepriority levels.
 7. The method of claim 6 wherein a highest prioritylevel corresponds to products that fulfill customer demands.
 8. Themethod of claim 7 wherein a lowest priority level corresponds toproducts that fulfill forecasted demands.
 9. The method of claim 8wherein a middle priority level corresponds to products that buffer peakdemands.
 10. The method of claim 1 further comprising allocatingproduction resources for individual families.
 11. The method of claim 1further comprising assigning individual families to machines.
 12. Themethod of claim 11 further comprising producing one or more productsbased on the updated production schedule.
 13. A planning systemconfigured to generate a production schedule, the planning systemcomprising: a family module configured to group products into familiesbased on geometric properties; a priority module configured toprioritize lots within individual families; a constraints moduleconfigured to determine a constraint on production capacity by analyzinga number of functioning systems in a flow shop and to determine aconstraint on raw material by analyzing a quantity of available rawmaterials; a scheduling module configured to generate a productionschedule that reduces changeover times by ordering lots withinindividual families based on priority and geometric similarity and toupdate the production schedule to produce an updated production scheduleresponsive to a determination that the production schedule violates thedetermined constraint on production capacity or the determinedconstraint on raw materials; and a controller configured to controloperation of one or more modules of the planning system.
 14. Theplanning system of claim 13 further comprising a planning data storethat includes information regarding geometric properties of products tobe produced.
 15. The planning system of claim 14 wherein the planningdata store includes information regarding customer orders.
 16. Theplanning system of claim 15 wherein the priority module is configured toanalyze information regarding customer orders stored in the planningdata store to prioritize lots within individual families.
 17. Theplanning system of claim 14 wherein the family module is configured toanalyze information regarding geometric properties of products to groupproducts into families.
 18. The planning system of claim 13 wherein thescheduling module is further configured to generate the productionschedule so that products from different families are processed inparallel.
 19. The planning system of claim 13 wherein the schedulingmodule is further configured to generate the production schedule so thatproducts with a higher priority are processed before products with alower priority.
 20. The planning system of claim 19 wherein the prioritymodule is configured to assign products to a higher priority where theproducts satisfy customer demands.